applause

noun

ap·​plause ə-ˈplȯz How to pronounce applause (audio)
Synonyms of applausenext
1
: marked commendation : acclaim
… the kind of applause every really creative writer wants.—Robert Tallant
2
: approval publicly expressed (as by clapping the hands)
a round of applause

Synonyms of applause

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of applause in a Sentence

The announcement was greeted with applause and cheers. a design for a memorial for the victims of the attack that has received nothing but applause from officials, commentators, and the general public
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
By the way, that statement from AOC received a massive, auditorium-wide applause. — Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Praise for Selldorf and her award-winning renovation was shown through clinking glasses, applause, and smiles around the room, as waiters in single file arrived with decadent dishes. — Eliza Jordan, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026 What Palvin and Hosk accomplished deserves applause, but their timelines shouldn’t be the expectation for every other new mother. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026 Flight controllers burst into applause and jumped to their feet, shaking hands and embracing. — ABC News, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for applause

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin applausus, from Latin, beating of wings, from applaudere

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of applause was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing applause

Rhymes for applause

See All Rhymes for applause

Browse Nearby Words

applaudingly
applause
applausive
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Applause.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/applause. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

applause

noun
ap·​plause ə-ˈplȯz How to pronounce applause (audio)
: approval shown especially by clapping the hands
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All